PROPOSAL FOR A SPARC DATA INITIATIVE (Chemical Observations)

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PROPOSAL FOR A SPARC

DATA INITIATIVE

(Chemical Observations)

Susann Tegtmeier1 & Michaela I. Hegglin2

1) IFM-GEOMAR, Kiel, Germany2) University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

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Nov 2009Hegglin&TegtmeierData Initiative

• Motivation Uncertainties in models assessments Need for an assessment of the available data sets for chemical trace gases

• Objectives

• Scope

• Measurements of chemical trace gases over the last 30 years Satellite measurements

Aircraft and balloon measurements

• Data availability

• Evaluations

Zonal monthly mean climatologies

Seasonal evolution

Interannual variability

• Discussion

OUTLINE

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MOTIVATION

SPARC GRIPS (multi-model intercomparison):

→ conflicting results when comparing models to different data sets→ considerable uncertainty in the model assessment

Middle atmosphere climatology study SPARC Report No. 3

SPARC CCMVal project (multi-model intercomparison):

→ variety of chemical observational data sets available → not necessarily known which data set is most reliable for a particular application

→ scores for a specific diagnostic dependent on data set used→ makes comparison less meaningful

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• MIPAS shows likely a too low amplitude (pers. communication G. Stiller IMK, Karlsruhe)

• ACE-FTS, despite potentially higher accuracy, shows very large std deviations, largely due to its restricted sampling coverage

• Comparison between models and the two data sets yield different outcome.

Uncertainties in model assessment

Seasonal cycle of H2O for 40°N-60°N

MIPAS observations in black, ACE-FTS in grey

Example from chapter 7 of the CCMVal report:

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Waugh and Eyring, 2008

Uncertainties in model assessment

Example from CCMVal-1 (first model intercomparison)

• chemical observations for CCMVal-1 mostly from HALOE

• CH4 diagnostic in the SH polar region: even the best performing models do a bad job

• indication that the quality of the observation may be questionable?

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MOTIVATION REDUX

SPARC GRIPS model intercomparison:

→ conflicting results when comparing models to different data sets → considerable uncertainty in the model assessment

Middle atmosphere climatology study SPARC Report No. 3

SPARC CCMVal project (model-measurement intercomparisons): → variety of chemical observational data sets available → not necessarily known which data set is most reliable for a particular application → scores for a specific diagnostic dependent on used data set → comparison less meaningful

Need for an assessment of the available data sets for chemical trace gases analogous to SPARC Report No. 3 for the meteorological data sets.

?

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OBJECTIVES

The proposed report will offer guidance for the use of chemical trace gas observations from space based instruments.

Establishing a data portal for chemical observations in collaboration with the space agencies and assessing state of data availability.

Compiling climatologies of chemical trace gases (e.g. zonal means, variability, seasonal evolution, annual means) in collaboration with the instrument PIs.

Detailed inter-comparison of these climatologies, summarizing useful information and highlighting differences between the data sets.

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SCOPE

Vertically resolved measurements of chemical trace gas species from the upper troposphere to the middle mesosphere (approximately 5-65 km).

The main focus is on satellite measurements but, where helpful, the evaluation may be enhanced through aircraft and balloon measurements.

The main species the report is targeted at are CH4, N2O, HNO3, NOy, NOx, NO2, HCl, Cly, Bry, age of air (SF6 and CO2).

Ozone and water vapor may also be treated briefly, heavily drawing from the SPARC water vapor and ozone initiatives.

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DATA INITIATIVE

• The initiative is very timely given the fact that

the “golden age” of stratospheric composition measurements of the past three decades is about to come to an end,

it is highly likely that there will be much less measurements in the future,

we need to capture existing knowledge on current and recent instruments before this knowledge is lost.

• In particular the report will also help to

identify priorities for reprocessing data or enhanced validation efforts identify measurement gaps, which could motivate and provide support for future missions.

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AVAILABLE MEASUREMENTS

Satellite measurements

• primary source of chemical data sets of the middle atmosphere during the last 30 years• global daily coverage • based on different viewing geometries: nadir, limb, and solar/lunar occultation • satellite measurements are available as individual profiles or as further processed data (e.g. zonal monthly means)

Aircraft and balloon measurements

• variety of aircraft and balloon campaigns available• provide high accuracy, high precision and high resolution data • limited sampling in time and space

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Atmospheric satellite instruments and missions since 1970

Gottwald et al., SCIAMACHY, monitoring the changing earth’s atmosphere, DRL, 2006.

Satellite measurements: primary source of chemical data sets of the middle atmosphere during the last 30 years

“Golden age of space based measurements”

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Satellite trace gas measurements (except O3 and H2O)

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Satellite measurements of NO2

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Atmospheric measurements of N2O and HNO3

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Satellite measurements of CH4 and HCl

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Aircraft and Balloon measurements

Variety of aircraft and balloon campaigns available (list not complete):

SPARC Newsletter No. 26 (2006)

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Most atmospheric satellite missions offer:

• downloads of measured species from their websites

• often in form of single measurements

For some atmospheric missions climatologies have been developed, e.g.

• Odin stratospheric proxy NOy measurements and climatology (Brohede et al., ACP 2008).

• A stratospheric climatology for O3, H2O, CH4, NOx, HCl and HF derived from HALOE measurements (Grooß and Russell, ACP 2005).

•Towards a climatology of stratospheric bromine monoxide from SCIAMACHY limb observations (Sheode et al., ACPD 2006).

Data availability

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EVALUATIONSZonal mean climatologies

Grooß and Russell, ACP 2005

HALOE NOx climatology

January (sunset only)

1991 - 2002

SCIAMACHY BrO climatology

December-February

2003 - 2004

Sheode et al., ACPD 2006

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EVALUATIONSSeasonal evolution

Brohede et al., ACP 2008

Odin NOy climatology

seasonal cycle of monthly mean values

Odin NOy climatology

seasonal cycle of standard deviation

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EVALUATIONSComparison of seasonal evolution

WAVAS SPARC report n°2, 2000

Seasonal cycles derived from HALOE and SAGE II (sunset) data on the 375 K isentrope. The values are mixing ratios given in ppmv.

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EVALUATIONSInterannual variability

Tegtmeier et al., JGR, 2008

Time series HALOE NOx

10 hPa, 10°-45° equivalent latitude

Time series SAGEII NO2

for 10 hPa, 10°N-45°N

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IDENTIFIED CONTACTS• Author team (to be determined from instrument teams and analysts)

• Space Agencies: • NASA: Ernest Hilsenrath

• CSA: Thomas Piekutowski

• ESA: Claus Zehner, Joerg Langen

• Experts / Advisory group (e.g. Bill Randel, Karen Rosenlof)

• Instrument PIs UARS/AURA MLS: Lucien Froidevaux, Michelle Santee, Nathaniel Livesey

ACE-FTS: Peter Bernath, Kaley Walker

• POAM II / III: Karl Hoppel

HALOE: James M. Russell III, Ellis Remsberg

• OSIRIS: Doug Degenstein

Odin: Donal Murtagh

• ILAS I / II

• SAGE I / II / III: M. Patrick McCormick

• SME: Garry Rottman

MIPAS: Gabriele Stiller, Thomas von Clarmann

SCIAMACHY: John Burrows

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FUNDING

• Initiative related workshops (possibility to get ACC and NASA funding)

• Report (layout, publishing, dissemination)

• Coordination of the data initiative may need some support too ( )

TIME LINE

• Report outline and author teams to be defined by May 2010

• Workshop ?

• Report to be completed by May 2012

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DISCUSSION POINTS

• Data portal – synergies with Atmospheric Composition Portal by ACC (so far supported by NASA and DLR; no homogenized data sets, but easy access to air quality data)?

• Synergy with ACC MEASURES-GODZCARS program (lead: Lucien Froidevoix; homogenized stratospheric data sets for American missions)?

• How much of aircraft, balloon, and ground-based measurements should be included, should such comparisons be done in separate papers?

• SPARC assessments of water vapour and ozone? How much goes into ours?

• What about CO, short-lived species, aerosols, PSCs?

• Technical issues like trends in data sets, sampling biases?

Documents

PROPOSAL FOR A SPARC DATA INITIATIVE (Chemical Observations)